Boiler-feed regulator



Sept. 6, 1957'. 1,641,612

A. A. ATKINS BOILER FEED REGULATOR Original Filed p '29. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f zy g INVENTOR.

\ A. A,..Arkuv.:'.

ATTRNEY.

A. A. ATKINS Sept. 6, 1927. I 15 L 130mm; mmn'nsauuwon I Original il pt- 29. 1922 2 sheets-sheet 2 JA/A A a I w ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 6, 1927. I i

UNITED STATES 1,641,612 Parser caries.

ANDREW A. ATKINS, OF MINERAL, VIRGINIA.

BOILER-FEED REGULATOR.

Application filed'september 29, 1922, Serial No. 591,330. Renewed August 3, 1927.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic feed water regulators for steam boilers and the like and more particularly to a novel and improved automatic system whereby a constant level of water may be maintained in the boiler irrespective of the amount of steam being used.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of an automatic feed water regulator for stationary boilers and the l ke ncluding a movable drum in communicat on with the boiler for maintaining a constant level, the position of said drum determining the position of the inlet feed regulating valve controlling the water supply.

Another and equally important object of my invention is the provision of a feed water regulating system of the character abovespeciiied wherein a movable drum is in communication with the main boiler, said drum controlling a system of counterbalancing weights and so mounted as to open and close a feed regulating valve dependent on the position of the said drum with respect to the water line in the boiler. 1

I attain the above objects and others which will become apparent as the descr1ption proceeds and when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing one form of my invention. I

Figure '2 is a similar and slightly mochfied form. 1

Referring now to the drawings, wherem like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 5 designates a conventional type of statlonary boiler wherein the water level is indicated at 6 and the feed water line pipeor inlet 7 is directly connected with the boiler in the manner shown by Figure l of the drawing. The feed line 7 is also provided with a stop valve 8 and a one way or check valve 9 preferably adjacenttheboiler and in addition I have also provided a lever feed water regulating valve 10 subsequently to be referred to." p 7 A water drum 11 is in communication with the boiler 5 through a flexible conduit 12 and a pipe connection13 leading to the bottom thereof. The pipe or conduit is provided with a valve 13 for preventing the return flow of water from the drum 11 to the boiler. A vertical pipe 14 connected to the conduit 13 by the connection 15 is provided with a water column 16 to which a steam pipe connection 17 is connected leading to the top of the boiler. A flexibly connected conduit 18 from the water column 16, leads to the end of the drum 11, the latter being provided with an air vent 19 and a cleaning plug 20 in the bottom thereof. Connected to the drum 11 and preferably the top thereof, is a cable 21 trained over a pair of pulleys 22, 23, to one side of the boiler, which pulley is connected to a valve regulating arm 24: for opening and closing the feed regulating valve 10 above referred to. A counterbalance or weight 25, attached to the opposite end of the pulley 21 is adapted to balance the drum 11 when the same is about 20% full, it being recognized that as the weight of the drum 11 is increased bythe quantity of water that the weight 25 will rise to the fullline position and consequently as the drum loses in weight, the counterbalance 25 will return to its dotted line position as shown by Figure 1. Although I have'shown a pulley and cable arrangement, it will be readily recognized by those skilled in the art that bell crank levers and links might also be utilized to accomplish the same purpose, which of course would depend on the particular boiler ro'om in which the device wouldbe in'stalledand the extreme accuracy desired in regulating the water supply since there would be a variation in the friction to be overcome in either the'nse of a pulley and cable arrangement or the bell crank lever and links above referred to. V Secured in any well known manner to a beam orsupport '26, I have provided a supporting rod 27 on the lower end of which a balancing lever 28 is pivotally connected, one end of said balancing lever being connected to the cable 21 and the opposite end to a cable 29011 which a series of stops 29 are secured. Slidably mounted upon this cable 29 above each stop 29 to be lifted by the latter, is a weight,"three of which are illustrated in the present instance and numbered 30, '31, andsa A wall bracket 33 provided with parallel guides 34 one for each weight and'each of which are apertured to permit of the passage of the cable 29 m stops 29, the lower end of which is provided with a hook'fo'r attachment to any suitable retaining device such as a nail or other element.

It will be seen that when the drum 11 is in its uppermost position, all of the weights 30, 31 and 32 are at rest upon the parallel guides 34, as the cable 29 and stops 29 are permitted to pass through the guides 34 and cause the weights to be deposited upon these guides. It is to be noted the distance between the stops 29 varies so that as the drum 11 lowers, the cable 29 will successively pick up the weights 32, 31 and 30 in the order named, all of the weights not being supported by the cable 29 and stops 29 until the drum 11 reaches the extent of its lowermost position which is maintained by the weight 32 coming into engagement with the intermediate guide 34. Assuming that the water level in drum 11 is at its lowest point, it will be seen that the Weight 25 will be arranged in its lowest position to open the valve 10 wide and all of the weights 30, 31 and 32 will be at rest upon their guides 34. \Vhen the drum is filled about one-quarter full, it lowers causing elevation of the weight 25 and partial opening of the valve 10 and elevation of the lowermost weight 32 from its guide 34, while the other two weights 30 and 31 remain at rest. Upon further filling of the drum 11 causing further elevation of the weight 25, the weights 30 and 31 will be lifted by stops 29 from their guides 34 to counter-balance the weight 25 and maintain a constant supply to the boiler until the maximum quanciated that the furnace can be operated with a minimum amount of fuel or water and at the same time this results in a more efficient operation of the boiler.

In the slightly modified form of the ap paratus or system as shown by Figure 2, in those instances where the boiler room will not permit of the mounting of the drum 11 on a-level with the water column or from any other cause, I have mounted the drum 11 higher than the boiler and above the water line 6 In this instance, the water may drain from the drum 11 back through the flexible conduit 12 and the pipe connection 13 by gravity. In this instance, the

7 return conduit 18 is connected to the Working water level in the water column 16 by a connection 16 so that as water rises to the level of the pipe connection of the water column 16 and theconnectionlG", it

will consitute and act as a water seal so that steam flowing through the steam pipe 17"" cannot flow through to the topof the drum 11. If this connection is sealed by Water, the steam in the drum starts to condense and the water rushes up through'the conduit 12 to fill the displacement and as the water fills the drum the weight 32 is raised and as the counterbalancing lever 28 swings on its pivot, the arm 24 will be moved to the dotted line position so as to open the regulating valve 10 for the admission of additional water to the boiler 5 In each instance the opening and closing of the regulating valve-10 to limit the quantity of water to be admitted to the boiler 5 depends on the speed of evaporation of the water and is controlled directly from the drum 11 and 11 in each instance through the system'of the counterbalance weights on the cable. The system is entirely automatic, requires no attention when once installed and'can be made quite sensitive so that the opera tion of the valves 10 and 10 in each instance can be regulated to any degree desired so that the fuel necessary can be reduced to a minimum.

While I have illustratedand described my invention with some degree of particularity,

"I realize that in practice various alterations I claim as new and desire to secure by United 7 States Letters Patent is In a feed water regulating mechanism, the combination with a water receptacle, a water supply conduit having connection with the receptacle, a regulating valve in said supply conduit, a vertically movable water drum communicating with the receptacle, a cable having connection with said drum and said regulating valve and including a weight, a lever fulcrumed and having one end connected with said cable adjacent the drum, a second cable connected with the other end of the'lever and depending therefrom, a plurality of stops fixed to the second cable at spaced intervals, a weight slidably' mounted on the second cable above each stop, and a support'arranged beneath each weight having an aperture for the passage of the cable and stops. v

In testimony whereof I affix'my signature.

ANDREW A. ATKINS. L11. 8. 

